The Thunder pretty easily took care of business in Game 1 of the conference semifinals playoff series vs. the Lakers on Tuesday night, winning 108–90.
This series marks the first time these two teams have met since 2012, meaning it’s the first playoff matchup against legend LeBron James for a good chunk of the young Oklahoma City roster, including Chet Holmgren. The reigning NBA champions hope to beat the four-time champion to advance to the conference finals.
Playing against James in the postseason is something Holmgren admitted he never really thought of being a possibility solely because of age. The 41-year-old is in his record 23rd NBA season—no one really knew how long James would be competing for. At 24, this is Holmgren’s fourth year in the league, putting a big age gap between the two players.
Mannix: Three Thoughts on Thunder’s Defensive Masterpiece vs. Lakers
After Tuesday night’s victory, NBC’s Maria Taylor asked Holmgren if he ever dreamed as a kid that one day he’d be playing against James in the playoffs. The Thunder center gave a brutally honest response.
“Maybe with him coaching or something, I don’t know. That was a long time ago and he’s still at it,” Holmgren said, sparking laughter from the NBC desk. “It’s fun to go at it with great players and he’s one of them.”
A young Chet Holmgren never imagined he’d play LeBron in the playoffs. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/HjJxUHqP8A
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) May 6, 2026
This is a completely fair point from Holmgren. It’s hard to imagine as a kid that you’d one day be playing on the same court as one of the legends of the game. And, for more context, Holmgren was only one year old when James was drafted to the league. It’s understandable why he thought as a kid that James would probably be retired and coaching by the time he reached the NBA. This just shows how incredible James’s longevity has been.
James actually scored the most points (27) on the court between both teams on Tuesday night despite Los Angeles losing. In 36 minutes played, James also recorded four rebounds and six assists.
Holmgren was the game’s second-leading scorer and led OKC with 24, while also recording 12 rebounds to give him a playoff double-double. It was his second of the postseason so far.
Holmgren will face James for at least three more matchups in this best-of-seven playoff series. Game 2 will tip off on Thursday, May 7, followed by Game 3 on Saturday, May 9.
More NBA Playoffs From Sports Illustrated
- Why the Lakers’ One Positive Takeaway From Game 1 Loss Is Actually a Bad Sign
- Luka Dončić Injury Timeline: When Lakers Star Could Return for Thunder Playoff Series
- How Rockets’ Alperen Şengün Can Rebound From Most Overrated Player Rating
- 76ers Star Joel Embiid Surprisingly Ruled Out of Game 2 vs. Knicks—Will Philadelphia Be Better Off?
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chet Holmgren Dropped Brutally Honest One-Liner About Facing LeBron James in the Playoffs.
